Gaming machines which provide players awards in primary or base games are well known. Gaming machines generally require the player to place or make a wager to activate the primary or base game. In many of these gaming machines, the award is based on the player obtaining a winning symbol or symbol combination and on the amount of the wager (e.g., the higher the wager, the higher the award). Generally, symbols or symbol combinations which are less likely to occur usually provide higher awards. In such known gaming machines, the amount of the wager made on the base game by the player may vary.
Gaming machines which provide secondary or bonus games are also known. The secondary or bonus games usually provide an additional award, such as a bonus award, to the player. Secondary or bonus games usually do not require an additional wager by the player to be activated. Instead, secondary or bonus games are generally activated or triggered upon an occurrence of a designated triggering symbol or triggering symbol combination in the primary or base game. When a secondary or bonus game is triggered, the gaming machine generally indicates this triggering to the player through one or more visual and/or audio output devices, such as the reels, lights, speakers, video screens, etc. Part of the enjoyment and excitement of playing certain gaming machines is the occurrence or triggering of the secondary or bonus game (even before the player knows how much the bonus award will be).
One such game employed by gaming machines is a reel slot game. Such a gaming machine includes a plurality of reels that each include a plurality of reel symbols. These gaming machines enable a player to place a wager on one or more paylines associated with a plurality of reel symbol positions. For each of the reels, certain of the reel symbols on that reel are generated independently from the reel symbols on each of the other reels to provide a combination of reel symbols. If a winning combination of reel symbols is generated and displayed along a wagered-on payline, the gaming machine provides an award for that payline. If a losing combination of reel symbols is generated and displayed along a wagered-on payline, the gaming machine provides no award for that payline. Certain such gaming machines are known to nudge or move one or more of the reels one or more reel stop positions to modify the generated combination of reel symbols It should be appreciated that certain of these gaming machines nudge or move one or more of the reels one or more reel stop positions regardless of which combination of reel symbols the gaming machine generated. That is, if the gaming machine nudges or moves one or more of the reels one or more reel stop positions, the gaming machine may modify: (i) the generated combination of reel symbols from a losing combination of reel symbols to a winning combination of reel symbols, or (ii) the generated combination of reel symbols from a winning combination of reel symbols to a losing combination of reel symbols. Modifying such generated reel symbols provides excitement and enjoyment for certain players.
Another such game employed by gaming machines is a poker game. In one form of a poker game, the gaming machine initially deals a quantity of cards, such as five cards, all face up from a virtual deck of fifty-two cards to form an initial poker hand. After the player is provided the initial poker hand, the gaming machine enables the player to select one or more of the initially dealt playing cards to discard. For each playing card the player selected to discard, the gaming machine replaces that playing card with another playing card from the deck of cards. The initially held playing cards and any subsequently dealt replacement cards form a subsequent or final poker hand. After this replacement, the gaming machine evaluates the playing cards of the subsequent or final poker hand to determine if the subsequent or final poker hand is a winning poker hand. The gaming machine then provides the player an award based on any winning poker hand.
In another form, the poker game includes multiple hands of poker played simultaneously. In this poker game, the gaming machine deals the player at least two hands of cards. The player chooses the cards to hold in a primary hand and the gaming machine holds such held cards in the primary hand and the other hands of cards. The gaming machines removes the remaining non-held cards from each hand displayed. For each hand, the gaming machine randomly deals replacement cards into that hand. Since the replacement cards are randomly dealt independently for each hand, the replacement cards for each hand may be different. After this replacement, for each hand, the gaming machine evaluates the cards for winning poker hands and provides any awards associated with any winning poker hands. Gaming machine which employ poker games provide excitement and enjoyment for certain players. Accordingly, a continuing need exists to enable players to play new and different poker games.